Hikari's Sinnoh Adventures
by The Sorceress Princess
Summary: This is the journey of the young Hikari from the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl video games, following the path of becoming a great Pokemon Trainer. It's an adventure story, with some possible romance for Hikari.
1. Chapter 1

**Hikari's Sinnoh Adventures**

**Author's Note:** Okay, I had this idea while I was playing my Pokémon Diamond. Yes, 16 years old, and I still play Pokémon. What can I say, I grew up with it, I'm sentimental, can't get rid of it; plus, the games are fun. Anywho, as I was saying, I came up with this while playing, and it's the adventures of Hikari in the game, not the anime, and it'll follow a lot of the storyline of the game, with some small differences, of course.

And she'll be going as Hikari instead of Dawn because it's better, even though I think instead of Dawn, it should have been Melanie; M, like the others: Misty, May, and Max, lol. But alright, let's just get this started!

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the Pokémon franchise, except that I did buy my games.

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**Chapter One: The Introduction**

Hi! My name's Hikari! I'm 10 years old, and I live in a little town called Twinleaf Town. It really is small, and pretty much everyone knows who everyone else is. I live with my mom and dad in the southeast of the town, but my dad is hardly ever home. He's usually out traveling, since he's a Pokémon Ranger. Although I don't get to see him much, I'm proud of him, helping Pokémon and all, since I really adore Pokémon.

My mom used to be a Pokémon Coordinator, and I've seen a lot of her different ribbons, so I guess she was pretty good? She doesn't say a whole lot about it, but the ribbons are still really cool. I think my mom and dad met back during a Pokémon Contest; my dad was there because there was some problem with a Coordinator or two and their Pokémon, but the exact details escape me. At any rate, they somehow met, fell in love, and decided to move here, a nice quiet place…where nothing ever happens…at all…ever.

My best friend is Kenji, he lives in my neighborhood, and we grew up together. He's always so competitive with me, even at times when I'm not. And he's always in such a rush for some reason; I guess he just wants to be first. It's pretty funny sometimes, though, as he crashes in to a lot of things and people all the time.

Now that I'm 10 years old, too, we can both get our first Pokémon and start our journeys, but that will be a little later on in the future, I believe. I'm not even sure what I want to do yet. I may be a Pokémon Coordinator, like my mom, or maybe I'll be a Ranger, like my dad, or just go out and be a Trainer first. I really want to travel, I've been wanting to get away for a long time, but I guess maybe what's holding me back right now from going through with it is fear. I've never traveled before, and although I want to go, it'll be a new experience, of which I'm not exactly sure if I'm ready. I think Kenji's just itching to go out there, though; he never even stops to think before he goes and does things, but I guess he just hasn't gotten the chance to go see the professor in the next town over, either.

Oh, well, I think I hear my mom calling me down for breakfast now, so I've got to go! Bye!

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**Author's Note:** Alright, yeah, that was very short, I know. Although I don't like chapters too long, the rest will be longer than this. I just wanted an introduction to it in the first person, and there wasn't all too much that needed to be said here. And the rest of the story may be in third person instead of first, by the way, but I haven't decided yet. For anyone interested in reading this, maybe I'll take some suggestions on which you prefer. But even if people don't like this story, I'll try to continue this, although I have a hundred other things I should be doing now… Okay, enough rambling, I'm done now, lol.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hikari's Sinnoh Adventures**

**Author's Note:** Okay, well, I just got back from vacation yesterday, and then school's about to start in a few days, so things are getting a little hectic around here. But I was able to put this chapter together. And I decided to go with the story being in first person. From reading To Kill a Mockingbird (Good book!), I realized that I really like first person, more personal when reading, so yeah, lol.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokémon or its characters or franchise, etc. And certain dialogues used in this chapter are quoted directly from the video game.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Go Away, Kenji!**

"Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh," I yawned, face down into my pillow. I had that feeling that one sometimes gets: knowing you're conscious, but still feeling as if you're asleep; and I didn't think I could move my body just yet, either. It felt heavy, or maybe it was just the blankets I had. Eventually, I was able to roll over and onto my back, thankfully without falling off the bed…again. 8:00 a.m. That's what the clock read. That was barely morning for me! I would have just gone back to sleep, if it weren't for my mother calling for me from the bottom of the stairs. My eyes popped open, clearly annoyed by my sudden need to wake up. "What now?" I mouthed to my ceiling, too lazy to actually speak out. Considering I was alone, I didn't feel the need to say anything aloud. But what could my mother possibly need from me that couldn't wait until a couple hours later, when I normally got up?

At least this interval of consciousness didn't interrupt any good dreams I occasionally have. The one I had just had was a strange one, though; however blurry and vague in my memory it is now, it was still a weird one indeed. Something about clowns and Pokéballs…or was it mimes? Now that I think it about it, my dream may have just been in black and white, and that would just be weird itself. I don't think I usually have my dreams in –

"Hikari! Are you awake yet, dear?" screeched my mom from down below. Well, maybe it wasn't quite screeching, but at 8 in the morning, it sure seemed like it. I decided to just try and drown her out by putting the pillow over my face. No use. She called again, and I could still hear her muffled voice, loud and – well, muffled. So, seeing as she wasn't intending on giving up anytime soon, I begrudgingly sat up, pulled my blankets and sheets off me and to the side, dragged myself to my bedroom door, swung it open, and croaked, "I'm coming, Mom!" My voice apparently was still not quite awake, as it cracked as I spoke. And although I'm sure I sounded as cranky as one could get as I responded to my mom, I was also sure she would have taken no notice, her being oblivious to anything but her own dreamy world.

I took a step forward, and suddenly my television turned on. It surprised me, but I realized I had only stepped on the remote control. The TV started flashing the news, and I instinctively picked up the remote and turned up the volume to see what they were talking about. A roar emitted from the TV as the volume grew louder; it sounded like a Pokémon. A red Gyarados was what they were speaking of, it seemed. "Despite the exploration team's best efforts, however, the rare, oddly colored Pokémon eluded detection. The rumored red Gyarados failed to appear, even fleetingly, to the crestfallen team…" announced the reporter. "That concludes our special report, 'Search for the Red Gyarados!' Brought to you by Jubilife TV on Nationwide Net! See you next time, same time, same channel!" That was the end of the program. A commercial appeared on the screen next, and that's when I turned off the TV and headed back to my doorway.

I stomped down the stairs, almost tripping as I neared the bottom step. Heaven forbid should I have _another_ accident on the staircase. That would be, maybe, the third one this month? Or fourth? I've lost track; maybe all of the head injuries I've endured during those falls damaged my memory. But continuing to the kitchen, I found my mother, Ayako, bustling about, then stationing herself at the stove, happily cooking away, making this morning's breakfast. She turned to me, a wide grin on her face, which seemed to make her face glow. She had the same shade of dark blue hair as I had, only shorter, and the same type of face, only hers seemed to be quite a few years older than myself.

"Good morning, Hikari! It's about time you got out of bed!" beamed my mother cheerily as she turned to face me.

I grunted to her, "Morning," then I sat myself down to the breakfast table, muttering about how it was earlier than usual that I had awakened, and wondering how in the world she could be so jovial this early in the morning. Of course, she could not hear me, for I didn't say it loud enough. As bothersome as she may have been every now and then, she was still pleasant to have around. '_Oh, that Ayako, always in an annoyingly good mood_,' I thought, making my mouth form a small smile.

After she finished cooking the scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, she slid them onto a plate and set them on the table as I had gotten myself a glass of milk. I realized how hungry I was as I saw the scrumptious food laid before me. I thanked my mother, and soon the meal was devoured. "So, why did you wake me up so early today, anyways?" I inquired, after swallowing my last bit of food.

"Oh, that's right! I had almost forgotten!" Her sudden abruptness in the response made me jump a little in my seat.

"...Yes?" I said slowly, waiting for her to continue.

"Kenji came by earlier." I groaned at hearing his name.

'_Oh, so it was Kenji's fault I had to wake up this early. Great,'_ I thought dully.

"I don't know what it was about, but he said it was an emergency," my mother carried on.

"It's _always_ an emergency," I retorted as I rolled my eyes. Sure, he was my best friend, but he sure could get on one's nerves sometimes, and when he always had some crazy idea and would want to rush and drag me off, it was never something worthwhile. My mother just smiled at me in amusement. I failed to see what was so funny; after all, it was true. He always reacted in exaggerated ways. "So…" I began, knowing the answer to my upcoming question, "I guess I should go and see what he wants, then?"

"Aren't you curious as to what he wants?"

'_Not particularly.'_ "Yeah, I guess so," I sighed. Pushing my chair away from the table, I stood up and went to the kitchen doorway. "I'll be back a little later, then!"

"Have fun, dear!" Yeah, with Kenji, things were always 'fun'. "Oh, yes! Hikari! One more thing, don't go into the tall grass. Wild Pokémon might attack you. It would be okay if you had your own Pokémon, but you don't, so…"

"Yeah, do you have to keep bringing that up, Mom? I'll get one soon enough, but the Pokémon Professor has been gone for four years, anyways," I grumbled to her and left the room. _'And they've never attacked before; why would they start now?'_

I went out the front door and made my way leisurely to Kenji's house. I assumed it was nothing too important; he was just his usual impatient self with a load of wild plans, but I figured that whatever it was, it could wait a couple more minutes. I greeted the neighbors delightfully; we had a lovely town, and although nothing much happened, at least everyone was friendly. And they were always willing to lend a helping hand when needed. It was a beautiful day, and I was almost glad to actually be up this early.

As I approached Kenji's front door, it flung inside, and Kenji came bounding out, right into me. Not only was I a klutz, so was he. He made a loud thud as he bumped into me and exclaimed, "What was that about!?" Yeah, like it was my fault. But before I got the chance to say something, he went on, "Oh, hey, Hikari! Hey! I'm going to the lake! You come, too! And be quick about it! Okay, Hikari? I'm fining you $1,000,000 if you're late!" He started to leave then came right back around. "Oh, jeez! Forgot something!" And with that, he bolted back into his house. Not wanting to just wait outside, I entered in after him.

I was welcomed by his mother, who was happy to see me, said that Kenji had come back in and up to his room, and went off into her own world (like my mother, I guess all parents do that), wondering who Kenji had taken after. I departed from the downstairs, went up the staircase, into the hallway, and into his room. "…I'd better take my Bag and Journal, too…" I heard him say to himself. He looked up from his computer at which he had been sitting, and acknowledged me once again. "Oh, hey, Hikari! We're going to the lake! I'll be waiting on the road! It's a $10,000,000 fine if you're late!" Then he pushed past me and hurried out the door.

To myself, I asked, "Is it just me, or did the fine just go up $9 million?" I sighed and followed him once again. Leaving the house, I headed towards the town's entrance. That boy was a speedy one, alright. He was nowhere to be seen, that is, until I walked a little farther down the path. There I spotted his bright yellow hair up ahead attached to the rest of his gangly body, waiting anxiously for me. He stood there, tapping his foot on the ground restlessly, with the look of "Hurry up!" written on his face.

As I caught up to him, he said in a purposely dark and quiet way, "Hey, you saw that news report that was on TV, right? You know, "Search for the Red Gyarados!" His voice started rising and became excited again. "The mysterious appearance of the furious Pokémon in a lake!"

"Yes," I replied flatly. I didn't like where this was going.

"That show got me thinking…" he carried on.

'_Of course it did. Here it goes,'_ I thought, somehow knowing what he was going to say next. He looked deep in thought, so I guess what he said fit his appearance.

"I'll bet our local lake has a Pokémon like that in it, too! So, that's what we're gonna do. We'll go find a Pokémon like that!" Kenji seemed so excited, what a character he was.

"Oh, come on, Kenji, you know there's nothing there." As fun as it would have been to have something in the lake, I doubted there was anything. Kenji had such a childish air about him, but I guess he was only 10. Then again, so was I. Although we grew up together, somehow I seemed to mature a bit more than he had. I would like to have believed there was something there; it would have been really awesome. But being more reasonable than he was, I acted in a more logical manner, and I just didn't believe there would be anything.

He just waved off what I said and told me in a smug tone that I wasn't as fun as I used to be and that I need to be more open-minded. I wondered, how many times had we gone to Lake Verity to hang out? And we never saw anything out of the ordinary while we were there.

I sighed and decided to amuse him by going. Apparently I had to lead the way, though, as he went behind me. I was wondering whether he was afraid or something, and he would rather something happen to me first than him. After raising an eyebrow at him, I turned back towards the Lake and started off, with him right behind me. I could tell he was still excited and eager to get there, but I kept at an even pace.

We soon arrived at the entrance of Lake Verity; it was a thicket of trees surrounding the lake, but it wasn't too long that we entered the small forest before seeing light at the end along with Lake Verity.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, that concludes this chapter! I know Hikari's personality is _way_ different than in the anime, and for fans of her, I also apologize for that difference. But seeing as I'm taking it from the video game, she doesn't necessarily have a defined personality in it (she never really talks). I like her this way, but I guess that's just because she's the way I would want her to act while playing the game. But I hope this one is still likable to you all, too. If not, please let me know, and maybe I can change her a little to make her more charismatic, lol.

Any comments and/or criticisms (just not flames) are very much welcome! And I'd like to thank those who have read and those who have reviewed. I really appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3

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Hikari's Sinnoh Adventures

**Author's Note:** Well, I've been working on this one more than my InuYasha one (I like this one more, lol), so I was going back to work on that one, while I decided to start a Naruto one, too, which may come out soon, for those that like Naruto. And then school started up again. Yeah, I'm really sad that the summer is over…but oh, well, I was finally able to get this written up!

So, sorry for making you wait, and thank you to my readers and reviewers! I really appreciate it! And I'm not just saying that; I'm really sincere about it! Thank you!

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, yeah, you know the drill: I own nothing, and dialogue from the game will be used in the story.

* * *

**Chapter 3:** **Tribulations of Lake Verity**

"This is so exciting!" Kenji shouted at the top of his lungs as we were walking through the woods. He startled me as he said that out of nowhere, and it made me jump a little. Even the leaves on the trees seemed to shake because of him. "Boy, I'm so much more enthused about this than you, Hikari! Obviously I love Pokémon a lot more than you do!" He smiled smugly to himself, eyes closed, nodding knowingly. And that got me ticked off.

"That's so not true!" I shouted at him, defending myself. No one loved Pokémon more than I did, and he knew how much I loved them, too. If anything I would be interested in, it would definitely be Pokémon; however, a red Gyarados? It was just too improbable for me to believe.

"Oh, really? Then if that's true, then you should want to get there as soon as possible. So…I'll race you there!" he proclaimed. Again with the competing, but this time I couldn't help myself.

"Fine, you're on!" Without hesitation, I quickly shouted before he even got a chance to catch his breath, "Ready, set, go!" And then we were both off, racing towards the lake. I had gotten quite a bit of a head start, as it had taken him a second or two to realize that the race had begun. But that was all the time I needed, I had figured. I was sure it would be an easy victory. But as we exited the woods and approached Lake Verity, there were two strangers ahead in the tall grass next to the lake. Apparently Kenji had taken notice, too, for he had slowed down to a halt, just as I had. One person was a boy about our age, and the other was an elderly gentleman, but I didn't recognize either of them at all.

"What's going on…?" I heard Kenji ask, standing beside. We were both looking attentively ahead of us, where the two strangers were having an intent conversation, so much so that they hadn't even noticed us some twenty feet away.

"I don't know," I answered him back quietly. I didn't really understand what they were talking about, but I was able to catch what they were saying to one another.

"Professor, there's nothing out of the ordinary on the other side, either!" I heard the young boy say, exasperated.

"Hmm…I may have been mistaken…" replied the boy's companion. Although he wasn't speaking very loudly, I could tell he had a very gruff voice. "Something appears to be different than it was before, but…" he trailed off for a moment. "Fine! It's enough that we have seen the lake. Lucas, we're leaving."

'_Oh, so his name's Lucas,'_ I thought, as I heard his name. I couldn't get too good a look at either of them, but I was curious to do so. Before I could think even more on the subject of getting closer, I heard them continue on.

"Professor," Lucas started, "you've been gone for four years now. How are you enjoying being back in Sinnoh?"

'_Wow, that was really random,' _was the first thing that popped into my head as he asked that. _'First, he's all flustered about who-knows-what, and the next thing he's calmly asking how the man's doing?'_

"…Hm. There is one thing I can say," the man answered, contemplating. "There are many rare kinds of Pokémon in Sinnoh. The region should serve us very well in regard to our studies." With that said, they turned and came our way, the older man in the lead with Lucas following right behind. Both Kenji and I jumped to either side as they approached, and the gentleman said to us, "Excuse me. Let us pass, please."

"Sorry, folks," Lucas said as he paused in between us. I guess he was maybe apologizing for the older man's curt words to us, and then the boy continued along.

"What was that about?" Kenji finally asked, after a moment of silence as we watched them disappear out of sight. "Those two…" He looked really confused, and it was hard not to laugh because it was hilarious whenever he had that dumb look on his face. Then he turned around to the spot the other two had just vacated. "Huh? HIKARI! Let's go check this out!" He pointed to some object lying in the grass.

"Kenji, we were told not to go into the tall grass…" I started to protest, but I only did it half-heartedly. I was never attacked before by any wild Pokémon, but I also didn't want to disobey my mother's requests.

"No problem, no problem! We won't be in there long enough for a wild Pokémon to come out!" Nothing was going to keep him from going, so he ran up to unidentified item with me right behind. "It's…a briefcase? Those people forgot it here. What are we supposed to do with it? We can try to deliver it, but who are they? I heard them say professor…"

Suddenly, before I could reply, two Starly swooped out of nowhere and attacked us. "Waah! Po-Pokémon!? What's going on!?" Kenji cried.

"I don't know! But they're angry!" Both Starly came plunging down at us, then back up, and then back down at us. "Look!" he shouted as he was able to open the briefcase, while I was trying to defend myself from being pecked. "These are Pokéballs! Let's battle using these! Eh…? Which one do you want, then?" he asked hurriedly, pointing to three Pokéballs in the briefcase.

"Um, um," I couldn't decide. Finally, I just picked the one on the right, took it, through it open, and started battling the oncoming Starly. Kenji did the same with another ball. "Piplup! Use Pound!" The battle raged on for a while, as that Starly just wouldn't give up. But eventually, Piplup had been victorious, and both of the Starly fled.

"Whew! That was a close one! But we did it! Though, I don't get why they attacked… Still, wow! Your Piplup totally rocked! But my Turtwig was way tougher than yours!" Kenji laughed haughtily, grasping the Pokéball in his hand.

"Uh, what? Kenji, you're trying to turn the battle with Pokémon – which don't even belong to us – into a competition, too?" I just shook my head at him in disbelief.

"Oh, yeah, they were other people's Pokémon, though, weren't they…" He looked so downtrodden. "But we had to use them… They won't mind, will they?"

"Well, I'm sure that -" But before I could finish, Lucas came back.

"Whew! You found the briefcase? The professor would've gone through the roof if he knew I forgot it here. Huh? Whaaaat!? Did you guys… Did you use these Pokémon!?"

"Um, well, you see, we -" I tried to explain, but he was just so upset and wouldn't give me time to finish.

"Oh, man… How am I gonna explain this to the professor? …This briefcase is the professor's, so I'll take it, okay?" Then he rushed off with the briefcase, apparently going back to meet up with the other man.

Kenji turned to me after Lucas left and asked, "What was that about?"

"I have no idea, but he really just freaked out," I replied, worried that we would soon get in trouble.

"I don't know what's going on, either. Hikari, let's get out of here. My Pokémon got hurt from that battle. If we get attacked by another Pokémon, we might be in trouble. You go ahead…I know we have to go return these Pokémon. They're not ours, but I want to spend just a little more time with this little guy…" He let out Turtwig again and stood behind me. Because I really liked Piplup myself, I let it out, too. Then we made our way back towards Twinleaf Town, forgetting our problems just by spending time with the Pokémon.

We were nearing town when we saw the two once again. "Hey, it's those people! Is that old guy staring at us?"

"Uh, I think so…" Then he came walking briskly towards us, well, me, since I was ahead. That Kenji, always letting everything happen to me; how nice…

"Hmm…" he started, and boy, was he scary. "I heard from Lucas that you used our Pokémon?" We just stood in silence and nodded. "Let me see them, please. Hmm… Piplup and Turtwig… Hmm… I see… That's how it is… Lucas! I'm going back to my lab!" Without another word he turned around and walked away, up towards Sandgem town.

"Uh… Yeah, of course! Professor, wait for me!" Lucas called after him. But before leaving, he told us, "You should visit us at our lab later, I think. We'll be seeing you!" And once again, he ran off to follow the professor.

Kenji was just full of questions. "What was all that craziness about? I mean, if he was angry, he could've just yelled at us, or whatever… And didn't he want their Pokémon back…?"

"I don't know, Kenji," I answered, just as confused as he was.

"Hikari…we should go home, too…" Then he decided to lead the way for once, and we were headed back to Twinleaf Town. I was thinking of how to explain this to my mom. Everything happened so quickly, and so much happened, that I didn't know how to begin, but I would think of something. Until then, I would treasure the time I had left with Piplup.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, and that's the end of chapter 3! I'm glad I finally got it done! I hope you guys like it! I'll try to get the next one up soon, but I'll probably be working on my other fan fictions, not to mention all the school work I've got (and it's only day three of school). But I'll see what I can do! Let me know what you all think of it, if it wouldn't be too much trouble!


	4. Chapter 4

**Hikari's Sinnoh Adventures**

**Author's Note:** Lol, okay, so, I was retarded. Thank you so much for reviewing, and especially to Jarkes for letting me know that I made those dumb mistakes. I had that name on there because I took it directly from the game, and I happened to name my character that since I like it. So, thanks a lot of pointing that out to me! When I typed it up from the game, I just typed what it said without thinking, and I thought I had changed all of them back to Hikari, but I guess I overlooked a couple. But they should be fixed now. Again, many apologies!

And apologies also for not updating for like….5 months? School just got super overloaded, what with research papers earlier and all, and talent show's coming up, so my friend and I were preparing for that. But anyways, I was really just slacking off, but now I got inspired to continue again, lol. Alright, now on to chapter 4!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

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**Chapter 4: The Journey Begins**

"What's up, dear?" asked my mother as I just watched her run around the kitchen, doing whatever it was she was doing, cleaning, cooking, something like that.

I sighed. "Oh, nothing, just, well, you see…" I started, scratching my head. I wasn't sure how to explain it, but I began with letting Piplup out of its Pokéball, and then soon I figured out what to say.

"Wow," Ayako replied to me, after I had finished speaking. "I can't believe that happened to you. Am I ever glad that both you and Kenji are unharmed, as well as your Pokémon! The professor you mentioned is most likely Professor Rowan of Sandgem Town. I've heard that he is well known for his studies on Pokémon. I hear he's also quite intimidating…"

"I'll say! He's one of the most terrifying people I've ever seen before!" I retorted, with a distraught look on my face.

"Hikari, I think you need to visit him in Sandgem Town." Apparently she didn't hear me when I said he was one of the most terrifying people I had ever seen. "You need to properly explain why you had no choice but to use his Pokémon. Don't worry!" she reassured me as I looked aghast at her. "I'm sure he will understand. Oh, I know! Hikari, put these on. Going to Sandgem Town is like an adventure in itself, right?"

"I…guess so." I had been there a few times before, and it really wasn't too far away to Sandgem Town, so I didn't really consider it much of an adventure, but whatever floats her boat! Out of nowhere, she whipped out a pair of running shoes and happily shoved them in my face; well, only not as harshly as that sounded.

"With those Running Shoes, you can get to faraway places much faster," my mother added as she intently watched me put them on.

'_No kidding.'_ "Thanks a lot, Mom! I did need new shoes, too; I really like these!" I hugged her after I finished tying them. They really were pretty good shoes, so I guess it was alright that –

"Oh, try them out! Try them out!" she persisted. Jeez, she doesn't even allow me to commentate on my own life without her interrupting me…

"Mom, please, I really don't – hey, don't push, don't push! I'm going, I'm going! Yeesh!" Yeah, my mom could get a little carried away sometimes…and pushy, literally.

"I'll read you the instructions for the Running Shoes," she said as she pulled out a piece of paper from the box.

As she read how to use them, I rolled my eyes and said, "Mom, I think I can figure out how to use shoes…"

She finished up with, "'Put on the Running Shoes and blaze new trails of adventure!' Well, isn't that just nifty!"

'…_Nifty? Oh, Mother, really, now…_' For her amusement, I ran around the living room to show they worked well. "Okay, well, they work! So, I'm going to go and find Professor Rowan now, and I'll see you later, Mom!" I waved goodbye as I went out the door.

"Have fun! And don't get into too much trouble now!" she replied with a giggle.

Walking out of town, I came up to where the end of the path met the one crossing it. To the left was the direction of the lake, and to the right was the way to Sandgem Town. I wondered if Professor Rowan hadn't just gone back to the lake. Being me, I didn't want to waste my time going all the way to Sandgem Town to find he wasn't even there. Still, I took a chance and went to the right.

This was where the path got rough, seeing as the grass was much taller. Everyone always says that this is where you find wild Pokémon. Of course, there would just happen to be yet another guy on the path who would tell me the same thing that I already knew. "Yeah, thanks," I said to him and continued on my way, wondering why he was just standing around there anyways.

I continued down the path, and at one point, off to the side, there was some notice. I walked up to it and read: _Trainer Tips! Don't be shy! Talk to anyone and everyone you happen to see. By talking to people, you will get invaluable information and advice._

'_Wow, that's deep,'_ I thought to myself. I then realized I was mocking a sign…

Down a little further was a girl walking back and forth on the path, and I decided to listen to that sign. "What the heck, what could it hurt?" I also realized then that I might have some issues, mocking signs, and talking to myself. Yeah.

"Uh, hi, there!" I said as cheerily as I could to a complete stranger.

"Oh, hello!" The girl seemed friendly enough. "You know, if your Pokémon's health – that's its HP – is getting low, you should go home and get some rest."

"Oh, well…thank you very much," I smiled and waved her goodbye and carried on down the path. _'The sign was right, they do give information and advice, but invaluable may not be quite the right word, heh.'_ My luck seemed to be going down now, for the path just ended, so I had to backtrack a bit until I found some tall grass that seemed to be a side path to continue up to town. Mumbling to myself, I grumbled, "Why would the path just end there? I don't understand. That seems rather uncouth. What if people are afraid to go all the way through –"

Just then, I was interrupted by a wild Pokémon. "Uhhhh, yeah, what is that again? Oh! Right, a Bidoof, I think. Okay, well, here goes! Come on out, Piplup!" I threw the Pokéball, and out came Piplup. He was an adorable Pokémon, no denying that, and with this battle, it was shown he was also pretty strong. "Piplup, use Pound on Bidoof!" It was an amazing feeling to have Piplup listen to me. Battling with Piplup, I felt like I had a real connection with him. And before today, I had never even battled before in my life; this was just an invigorating experience. After a few more attacks of Pound, Bidoof was knocked out, so I called Piplup back, though I hesitated, wondering if I should just keep it out with me. But I decided it needed some rest after a great battle like that.

Up nearby some trees, there stood a man, as I approached, he exclaimed, "Hi! I work at a Pokémon Mart. Did you know that a Pokémon's health is measured by Hit Points (HP)? If a Pokémon runs out of HP, it faints and can't battle anymore. If a Pokémon's HP gets low, you should heal it with a Potion. Here, let me give you a Potion as a free sample. First one's free!" With that said, he handed me a weird shaped bottle, which I assumed to be the Potion.

"Oh, well, thank you," I said a little uneasily. I wasn't too sure about accepting something from a complete stranger, but I decided that things like this were bound to happen on this 'adventure' of mine, so I might as well go along with it.

"You can find a Pokémon Mart in cities and most major towns," he said as he finished advertising.

"Right. See ya." Leaving him, I made a right turn and continued towards Sandgem Town. But before too long, I got caught in a battle with another wild Pokémon. Although this time, it was a Starly. "Aw, jeez, this is great, another Starly," I said to myself, recalling the last time I met up with a Starly. That wasn't exactly the most pleasant of times. Luckily, the Starly this time was pretty easy to beat, and after the battle, Piplup grew to level 6. "Way to go, Piplup!" I exclaimed excitedly as I picked Piplup up and held it in the air. "That was awesome!" After returning Piplup to its Pokéball, I made it out of the tall grass, whereupon there was a sign. "Rt. 201, Sandgem Town. Finally, we're getting somewhere!" It was just a few minutes, and there came Sandgem Town into view. "Yes!" Ready to take a short break, I jogged into town, but before I barely made it, there stood Lucas to greet me.

"Hi! I've been waiting for you! Please, come with me. The Prof's waiting to see you," Lucas said as he walked up to me and starting leading me through town towards the professor's lab.

'_The Prof? Who uses names like that anymore…'_ I thought as I followed him, also wondering from where he got his interesting-looking hat.

"See?" he asked, pointing to the large building to our left.

"Yes," I replied, still staring at his hat. Then I looked over to the direction in which he was pointing, "Oh, you mean that! Yeah, yeah, I see it." _'My bad, maybe I should start listening to him now.'_

"This is our Pokémon Research Lab. We'll just go ahead and –"

_THUD!_

All of a sudden, someone came bolting out of the building, crashing into me and knocking me down. And of course, I knew instantly who it was.

Kenji looked startled as he saw Lucas and me. "What the… Oh, it's you, Hikari! That old guy… He's not scary so much as he is totally out there!" he explained all very quickly, barely comprehendible.

I stood up as I began to say, before I was interrupted as usual, "Uh, what are you –"

"Aww, it doesn't matter, Hikari. I'm out of here. See you later!" And with a flash, he was gone. Not magically, he's just a pretty fast walker.

As we watched him head further into town by the looks of it, Lucas spoke, "What was that!? Your friend always seems to be in such a rush."

"Yeah, it happens a lot," I said drearily, brushing myself off. _'This has got to stop happening, Kenji…'_

"Anyway… Let's go in," he said after a moment.

Inside was huge and filled with technical-looking things. There were two assistants hard at work, walking around everywhere, writing down data; it looked confusing. We walked to the other side of the room where Professor Rowan stood waiting for us.

"…Finally, you've come. Hikari, was it?" he said in his deep, somewhat terrifying voice.

"Uh, yes, sir," I said, looking up at him, finding it hard to keep eye contact. His eyes were piercing, and they seemed to see right through you.

"Let me see your Pokémon again… Hm… I see…" What was he, a doctor? "This Pokémon seems to be rather happy. All righty then! I'll give that Piplup to you as a gift."

'_Wait, he what –?'_

"Your friend, Kenji, told me what happened at the lake. I heard you battled very well, despite it being your first time. And, from what I can see, there is a growing bond between you and that Pokémon, though it is still young. That's why I would like to entrust you with Piplup."

"Oh, thank you very much, Professor!" I exclaimed with joy. All the way to Sandgem Town, I figured I would have to give Piplup back. But now that I would be able to keep it, this was one of the happiest and most exciting times of my life!

"Boy, am I glad you're kind toward Pokémon," Lucas said relieved. "If you weren't, well… I don't even want to think about it."

"Er-hem!" Professor Rowan cleared his throat, which made me jump a little. "Let's move on to the main topic. There is something I want you to do for me. My name is Rowan. I study Pokémon."

'_Wow, this guy's pretty long-winded. Does he ever stop talking?'_

"First of all, I want to know exactly what kinds of Pokémon live in the Sinnoh region."

'_Apparently not.'_

"To do so, it is necessary to collect data using the Pokédex. This is what I wish to ask of you. I want to entrust you with this Pokédex. Will you use it to record data on all the Pokémon in Sinnoh for me?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, of course," I answered sincerely as he handed me a strange device.

"Hm! Good answer! That Pokédex is a very high-tech device. It will automatically record data on every kind of Pokémon you encounter. Hikari, I ask that you go everywhere and meet every kind of Pokémon in this region!"

"Uh, right!" This sounded like a bit of a challenge. Meet _every_ kind of Pokémon in the region? I was pretty sure there were quite a bit around, not to mention I was still a little uneasy about traveling for a long period of time.

"I've got the same kind of Pokédex as you, Hikari," Lucas said simply, as he pulled out his own. I was slow at taking this all in; the part of having to find all of the Pokémon for this professor was a little much to handle, so I just looked blankly at his Pokédex and blinked.

"When you walked up Route 201 with your Pokémon, what did you feel?"

"Uh, how did I feel? Well…" I wasn't sure how to explain it. I felt something. Whatever it was, it was a _good_ feeling, fun and exciting, to have a partner to travel with, to go on adventures, to stick together no matter what. Pokémon, they were always my greatest interest. And to be living out my dream to be with them, even if traveling was a little daunting to me, the idea of traveling with Pokémon, now knowing the feeling, made it all the less intimidating now.

"I've lived for 60 long years. Even now, I get a thrill when I'm with a Pokémon. Now, you should know that there are countless Pokémon in this world. That means there are just as many thrills waiting for you out there! Now go! Hikari, your grand adventure begins right now!"

'_I'm glad I have a choice in this matter. Kenji was right. This guy is a little out there…'_ I just nodded slowly, with a twitching smile on my lips.

"The professor asked me to help, so I'm going to go out and fill the Pokédex pages, too. That makes us comrades working toward the same goal," Lucas told me matter-of-factly.

'_If he's going to get them all, why do I have to? But at least with him doing it, too, that might make it a little easier for me.'_

"I'll teach you stuff later, okay?" Before I could even answer him, Lucas went out the door.

"Go on! Hikari, your grand adventure awaits you!" Professor Rowan concluded as he became very emotional about it.

"Okay…" At this point, I was ready to go anyways. "Thank you very much, Professor Rowan. I'll see you around."

On my way out, I spoke to Professor Rowan's assistants. "I'm Lucas's father," said the assistant to the left of the room. "I'll be happy to assist you on your quest for the professor. Hahaha."

'_I don't get it,'_ I thought as he continued laughing.

"Eh, I'm sure we can count on you!"

"Uh, right, thanks," I answered him, turning to the woman on the other side.

"Professor Rowan invented a new Pokédex while working alongside a professor from the Kanto region!"

"Oh, that's cool, Professor Oak, I presume." I left as quickly as I could, before Professor Rowan overheard us talking and decided to join in the conversation.

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**Author's Note:** Okay, well, I FINALLY got that finished! Wow, that took me forever to update.

And as for the suggestions, I do like the ideas of the traveling with Kenji and all, it's just that I'd prefer following along with my actual playing of the video game, which is what I have been aiming for so far. It would be more interesting with Kenji around, but maybe I'll do another story with him another time, lol. As for seeing one of the Mirage Pokémon, I'll think about it. Maybe I'll put it in somewhere if it fits. Thanks for the suggestions, though!

And I really am going through as the game now, I guess, since I'm letting them know the levels and the experience points. I like being able to tell and such, so I hope you guys don't mind, lol.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hikari's Sinnoh Adventures**

**Author's Note:** Heh, well…what can I say? Except, I sincerely apologize for my lack of updating for like…a year. With my senior year of high school and all, life got pretty complicated. And I've wanted to come back to this for a little while now, and I finally got myself to do it, haha. So, if there are any readers left, or new ones to come in, they're more than welcome here!

And wow! I can't believe I have 4 chapters up. I thought I only had 2; I stuck to this longer than I expected I would have, lol.

Also, as far as previous chapters go, I went back and changed the name of Hikari's mother to the Japanese one, as once was suggested. I do like Ayako better than Johanna anyways. I'll repost those chapters once I figure out how to though, haha.

**Disclaimer:** I still own nothing!

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Chapter 5: A Side Trip in the Journey

As soon as I went out the door, I saw Lucas waiting for me. "Hey, Hikari! I want to show you a few things. So, follow me!" He said with a grin on his face. Apparently he got a kick out of helping new Trainers. So, I decided to encourage him and go along with it. "This building, with the red roof, is the Pokémon Center. You can get your Pokémon healed if it's been hurt in battle. You'll find a Pokémon Center in most towns."

"That's good to hear. I do need to get my Piplup healed now, too, come to think of it. Piplup sustained quite a bit of damage from battling earlier," I replied, thinking it was a good time to do so. But I didn't get the chance, for Lucas continued on, forcing me to follow.

"Over here, the building with the blue roof is the Poké Mart. It's a shop where you can buy and sell all sorts of items."

"Yeah, I remember a guy saying something about it on my way up here." Even though I was attempting to communicate with him, he didn't really seem to be listening. He was caught up in his tour.

"Hikari, since you're a rookie Trainer, you won't be able to buy very much stuff. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Okay…" How was I not supposed to worry about it? It seemed to me that the Rookie Trainers should have more of an option than the more experienced ones. They would need more help.

"Oh, yeah, right! Hikari…"

He took an unnecessarily long pause, so confusedly I asked, "…Yes?"

"You should let your family know you're helping Prof. Rowan put together his Pokédex. Sometimes, you have to go far away, so you should let someone know." And by this point of the conversation, I had come to think that he talked just as much as Professor Rowan.

"Yeah, well, I was planning on it." Chuckling, I continued, "I wasn't just going to leave my mom wondering what happened to me by disappearing for –"

"Oh, but first, go heal up your Pokémon at the Poké Center. You'll be safe then."

"Yeah, I was gonna do that before when we were –"

"Okay, be seeing you!" And with that, he walked briskly around the corner and up north of town. And I realized then that I was wrong about him talking as much as Professor Rowan.

He was worse.

Glad that he finally left, I made my way back to the Pokémon Center. He seemed like a good enough guy, but he had that _something_ that reminded me of Kenji.

Inside the Pokémon Center, there were a few people lingering about. The woman near the door told me about a Pokémon Communication Club upstairs, whatever that was. Another woman was blocking the stairway leading downstairs. I assumed she was a worker at the Center.

When I asked her what was downstairs, she only said that they were working underground and that it was off-limits to the public. So it was still a mystery to me what was down there.

Making my way to the counter, yet another woman (at least I think it was a woman…) spoke to me. "Talk to that nice lady at the counter and hand her your Pokémon. She'll heal your Pokémon to perfect health in no time at all!"

"Okay, thank you, ma'am." That was what I was planning on doing. And now this woman had my hopes up. The nurse had better have been a nice lady and heal my Piplup to perfect health; otherwise, I would have been thoroughly disappointed due to that woman.

The nurse behind the counter greeted me, "Hello," and introduced herself as Nurse Joy. I would soon come to find – after I saw a family photograph on the counter – that all of the nurses who worked at the Pokémon Center were curiously named Joy, and they all looked exactly alike (as far as I could tell, at least).

"And welcome to the Pokémon Center. We restore your tired Pokémon to full health."

'_Yeah, that's what that woman said to me, too, so you better be good!'_

"Would you like to rest your Pokémon?" She had such a cheery disposition that no one could help but be in good spirits around her.

"Yes, ma'am, my Piplup got a little hurt while battling today."

"Okay, I'll take your Pokémon for a few minutes." she replied with a giggle and took Piplup in its Pokéball.

While I waited, I saw an old man nearby, standing calmly with his cane, humming to himself. When he saw me looking at him, he instantly perked up and started speaking. His voice was high, yet rough, and he seemed excited to have company.

"Do you see that PC over there? That fancy blue one?" There was only one computer anywhere around, so I did, indeed, see the fancy blue one. "If you've got Pokémon with you, it's free to use," he finished, chuckling lightly (although it sounded a little more like a cackle).

"Oh, thank you, sir." I was still a little confused about what to do with it. Why could I only use it I had Pokémon with me? Thinking back to any knowledge I had on Pokémon training, I seemed to recall that it was a Pokémon storage system. Just to be sure, I walked over to check it out. But then I realized that I didn't have any Pokémon at the moment, so it wouldn't have worked.

Turning around, disappointed, I saw Nurse Joy reenter and beckon me over. Handing me my Pokéball, she cheerily exclaimed, "Your Piplup is as good as new!" Which I thought was sort of weird to say about a Pokémon, but I went with it.

"Thank you for taking care of Piplup for me, Nurse Joy," I replied, with a slight head bow.

"No problem! We hope to see you again!" I wondered who the 'we' she was referring to was, considering she was the only worker around. I assumed she must have had a Chansey to aid her somewhere in the Center. I had heard from Kenji that Chansey were well known for helping the nurses.

But before I had the chance to ask Nurse Joy about it myself, she went to tend to another Trainer who had entered. So, instead, I decided to go back to the PC and see how it worked.

Turning it on, various choices popped up. There were three different PC accounts within the blue PC from which to choose. The first choice said Someone's PC. I didn't know whose it was, and apparently the computer didn't know who it was, either. But I realized that it must be partly mine, for it seemed that was where I was to place my Pokémon when I wanted to store them. I had the urge to put Piplup in it, just to see how it worked, but the PC wouldn't let me, since it was the only Pokémon I had.

With a sigh, I exited out of Someone's PC and went on to the next, which happened to be my own. _"Excellent!" _I thought. Hikari's PC. For some reason, having my own account in this PC world intrigued me. Entering into it, I found that I had a Mailbox and Ball Capsules directories. I had no idea how to use them, and didn't know anyone who would mail me anything, but I was disappointed to find that my Mailbox was empty, nonetheless. The Ball Capsules thing went way over my head as well, especially considering it said I couldn't use them because I didn't have any Seals. Whatever that was.

The last PC account was Rowan's PC. I assumed it to be the Professor who had sent me on this journey of mine-to be. Apparently anyone was permitted on the account though, since I was free to access it. Then on the screen, there appeared, "Hmm… You've spotted 3 Pokémon in Sinnoh… Look harder for wild Pokémon. Don't be afraid of going into tall grass."

"_Well!"_ I thought while signing off, rather distressed that it was practically insulting me. _"I haven't really even started working on the Pokédex yet! I saw those Pokémon before I got the Pokédex, too."_ After taking a moment to cool down, I realized I was upset at an inanimate object. Looking around, hoping no one noticed my silent tantrum next to the PC, I quickly made my escape.

But instead of exiting, I went upstairs to the second floor, out of pure curiosity. After talking to the three women at the counters, I learned that there was Pokémon Wireless Club Union Room, a Pokémon Communication Club Colosseum, and a place to sign my Trainer Card. Since I had no idea what the first two were, I left without saying much to them. But I did sign my Trainer Card before I went back downstairs. It took me a couple tries, though, because I didn't like how my handwriting looked with the pen that they made me use to sign it.

I decided it was time to go back home and check in with my mom, to let her know that I was finally going out on my big journey. But because I hadn't had the chance to look inside the Poké Mart when Lucas was showing me around, I decided to check it out before I returned home.

Once inside, I noticed that the shelves were jammed with colorful Pokémon goods. There was a guy standing beside me as I looked at the various Pokémon supplies. He had brown hair and dorky, vibrant, blue glasses. It was hard to look away from them, just as it had been with Lucas' unusual hat. The guy must have noticed me staring at him, because he started talking to me. Expecting him to scold me for staring at him, I was surprised when he started spewing out facts and suggestions. "If you come across a Pokémon you've just gotta have, toss a Poké Ball!" It seemed to make enough sense to me. "Never leave home without one!"

"_Woops, too late. I already did that. We don't happen to carry a supply of Pokéballs at home." _Besides, my mom would get upset with a pile of unused Pokémon goods taking up space. "That's very true!" Never wanting to instigate a conflict with people, I learned to just roll with them.

Walking around the store, I saw another boy with sandy hair. He was holding several weird-looking bottles. They looked familiar, and I realized it was the same thing that weird guy on the road had given me earlier that day. He seemed excitable, intent on choosing the right bottles. But he seemed friendly enough, too, so I decided to make conversation with him. Jokingly, I asked, "Do you think you could save some Potions for me?"

"If a Pokémon loses all its HP, it can't battle anymore. I'm buying lots of Potions to avoid having that happen!" Apparently the answer was no, because he continued to stock up on the Potions. Luckily, the entire store was filled with tons of supplies, so I wasn't worried about his big spending.

Following the boy's lead, I grabbed a few Potions – at which I could have sworn he scowled a little at me; I guess I took some of _his_ bottles – and then went to find the aisle with Poké Balls. I also had a feeling that the guy with the blue glasses would be keeping an eye on Trainers who did and didn't purchase Poké Balls. And I didn't want to take any chances with him, so I grabbed a few. Only carrying $3,000 with me, I didn't want to spend it all right off the bat, so it limited me to buying anything more.

The woman at the counter was very friendly, and I was sad that I didn't catch her name. I wondered if she was like the Nurse Joys, and there were more of her in other Pokémon Marts. Putting my newly purchased supplies in my bag, I realized I was leaving with half as much money as I had come in with, so I hoped that I would make more money in the future.

Stepping out through the door, I noticed the sun starting to set. It would probably be dark before I got home. I decided I'd probably spend one more night at home and then head off. But on my way back, I went down the wrong path from town and ended up at Sandgem Beach, whereupon I found an Antidote. _"Lucky day! Things seem to be going pretty well for me today."_ Finally getting on the right path back home, the rest of the trip was quick and normal.

It was dark when I reached Twinleaf Town, and I was glad to be back home. The day's events had worn me out. _"Mailbox empty."_ It was an instinctive routine to check the mail whenever I came back home. And it was usually empty, or filled with junk mail.

"Mom! I'm home!" I shouted as I walked through the door. It wasn't necessary, because my mother was sitting peacefully in the living room, watching TV. Still, she didn't notice me at first, because she was too caught up in the television program.

It was the end of a Pokémon Contest, with the MC concluding the show. "Here we are! It's the Contest Digest! The winner of today's Normal Rank Tough Contest is… Dominic, who overwhelmed with his awesomely, buffed Pokémon! That's all the time we have today! Let's meet again!" Then it went to a commercial about giant Poffins.

My mom finally noticed my arrival, so she turned to me and excitedly said, "Welcome home, Hikari. Are you and your Pokémon healthy? I just made dinner. Take a quick rest dear and eat." She didn't even give me any time to reply before she got up and set out the meal at the table. I was starving because I hadn't eaten much at all that day, so I wasn't objecting. I knew Piplup must have been hungry, too, so I let her out. To my surprise, my mom had made Pokémon food as well, at which Piplup happily chowed down. I didn't even know she knew how to make Pokémon food.

When I sat down to eat, she asked me the question I had been waiting for. The vague, "What's up, Hikari?" I had prepared my explanation on my way home. So while we ate, I relayed the rest of my day to her.

We were ready for dessert by the time I had finished. Because Professor Rowan, Lucas, and various other people I had spoken to were so loquacious, it took longer than I had expected to explain everything. "Wow. Professor Rowan asked you to do something that big." At first, I thought I saw a look of doubt flash across her face, but I retracted that thought when she continued on. "Okay, dear, go for it! Your mom's got your back!"

Now, that was the mother I knew and loved, always supportive. "Heh, thanks, Mom. I knew I could count on you."

"Oh, I know! Hikari, I've got something that you'll find useful." She scurried from the table to the kitchen counter, picked something up, and dashed back over. She handed me a little book of some sort. "That's a Journal. It keeps a record of your daily events."

"_Yes, Mom, that is what a journal is for…"_ Moms, what can you do about them?

"Check it, and you'll be able to remember what you did last. Gee, a journey full of adventure… I envy you, kiddo. Plus, you're not alone. You have your Pokémon with you. I wish I could go instead!" She chuckled and took a sip of her coffee.

"Well, you're kind of old now, though," I replied slowly.

"But I'm young at heart!" She laughed again. "I'm just joking, dear! Yup, Hikari! I'll be all right by myself, so you go and enjoy your adventure! When you're exposed to new things, and experience new sensations, it makes your mother happy, too. …But come back sometimes. I would like to see the kinds of Pokémon you've caught, dear."

She turned to Piplup with a smile spread across her face. Piplup, who was still casually munching on Pokémon food, just cocked its head to the side and chirped, "Pip?"

After dinner, Piplup and I went up to my room. I stuck with my plan to spend one last night at home and then set off on my journey. There was no sense in going now, for everyone else would be asleep at this hour, anyways. Looking down at the foot of my bed, I whispered, "Good night, Piplup!"

"Piplup!"

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**Author's Note:**

Okay, sorry if that wasn't very good. It's going to take me a while to get back into the groove of things, haha. Following along with the game storyline may not be the most exciting thing, either, I realized. But I already started it, so I'm going to stick with it! And I'll try my best to involve more things within the game's storyline, too. Mostly with this chapter, I made it a lot about Hikari's thoughts on everything, which is what my main point was in doing this story anyway.

Also, the money is just going to be dollars, since finding the symbol of the Pokémon money and pasting it isn't easy, at least not worth the time in doing all the work (I'm lazy).

And I really did get lost trying to find my way back to Twinleaf Town. I was mad that I didn't have a map yet either, lol.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hikari's Sinnoh Adventures**

**Author's Note:** After posting the last chapter, I realized it was a lot longer than I expected it to be, haha.

Thanks for your reviews; I really appreciate it! And Cadmium Kheri, yeah, I know about the number thing, but sometimes I feel that the number written out is just less easily read than the digits. I'm just a slacker, lol. I know it's wrong unless it's over a hundred, but I guess I just have some quirks with writing. I'll try to stick to being more grammatically correct though from now on, haha.

And as far as chapter one goes, the idea was for it to seem like a ten year old was talking at the time. I guess I sort of thought of it like a 'dear journal' introduction towards the reader, so it directly addressed the reader. I just sort of wanted a little introduction like that for fun, like a pre-get-to-know the character, haha. But if I have the time to look over the first chapter a little more closely, I'll see what I can do about re-adjusting it to make it fit a little more with the rest of the story.

And thanks again for your comments! ^_^

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**Chapter 6: The Journey**_** Really**_** Begins**

It was early in the morning when I awoke, around 6. I rolled over from my side onto my back, forgetting that Piplup was also there. It got caught under my blanket and legs, causing him to wake up with a squeal.

"Oh! Sorry about that, Piplup. I'm not used to sharing my bed," I laughed as I pulled her up and set her beside me. Seeing Piplup reminded me that today was when I'd actually set off for my journey. I jumped out of bed, got dressed, and dashed down the stairs, with Piplup following closely behind.

My mother was in her favorite place as usual, the kitchen. "Good morning, Hikari! I'm surprised you're up this early on your own! Here! I made you some breakfast before you go off on your big journey!" Bubbly as usual, she gently ushered me to the kitchen table, where there lay a feast of breakfast foods. Piles of pancakes, waffles, sided with eggs, bacon, and toast, topped off with fruit galore, were scattered across the table.

"Wow." That was all that I could think of to express my thoughts on all of this food. _Wow._ "Mom, you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble. I'm only 10."

"I know that! You're a growing girl! So you need to eat a lot! And there's also milk, and juice, – apple _and_ orange – and chocolate for your milk." She turned around and went to the refrigerator, pulling out several pitchers at once. "There you go!" she said in a sing-song voice, even continuing on by humming a cheerful tune.

Shaking my head at my mother in disbelief, I sat down at the table to eat something. I wasn't that hungry, since I was preoccupied about this upcoming journey of mine. But Piplup didn't appear to feel the same way as I did, for he had already found the syrup and begun digging into the pancakes. Laughing, I picked up my fork and reached for the waffles.

Suddenly, someone burst through the door; it was Kenji's mom, Shiori. Apparently she hadn't learned about knocking, which was a common custom among people with homes. Not that I actually minded though; she was a nice woman, and was pretty much like an aunt to me.

Flustered, she quickly spoke, "Excuse me. Is my little Kenji here?"

'_Little? That lanky boy who lives near me? I wouldn't call him little.'_

My mother was the first one to respond, since I was caught up in my own thoughts. "Oh? No, he's not…"

"Oh… Then he must have let already…" Shiori sighed dejectedly. "What to do… That boy shouted about going on an adventure, then he bolted. He's so headstrong and reckless… I at least wanted him to take this…" She pulled out some sort of package.

"Not to worry, Hikari will deliver that to him. Won't you, Hikari?"

"Huh?" _'Oh, thanks a lot, Mom. Just volunteer me for everything.'_

Shiori's eyes lit up. "Oh, really? You'd do that for me?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure, sure." I figured it wasn't a big deal. I'd find him along the way at some point in the future.

"Hikari, please take this to Kenji for me." Then she handed me the parcel she held so dearly. "Let me think… Knowing my boy, he would probably head straight to Jubilife City… Okay, please take that to my Kenji."

"Sure thing, I'll have to go through Jubilife City myself."

"Thank you so much, dear! I really appreciate it!" Then she gave me a death grip of a hug for what seemed like forever. I thought she'd crush my lungs before she'd let go.

"It's no problem, I'm glad to do it for you," I choked out, managing to wiggle my way out of her arms.

All of her emotional drama and near-death embraces were getting me hungry. I finally started to chow down on the food my mother made me. And by golly, was it delicious!

"Bless you, dear. And good luck on your journey, and tell Kenji that I love him! Goodbye!" She about faced and practically skipped out the door.

"Oh, that Shiori. She always gets so worked up over things and overreacts," my mother giggled.

'_Yeah, speak for yourself, Mother, dearest.'_ I decided to change the subject. Thinking any more about Kenji or Kenji-related things gave me a headache. "Wow, Mom, this food's really amazing! Thanks for making it. I think Piplup really enjoyed it, too." We both turned to the side to see Piplup lying on his back at the end of the table, full up with food. He let out a little burp, and that got us laughing for a good five minutes.

*

I was all packed and ready to go. Piplup was recovering from the huge meal he ate. "Alright, I think we're all set, Piplup. Are you ready to go?" With much effort, Piplup pushed himself up and waddled over.

"Oh, are you leaving now, Hikari?" my mom asked as she came in from the kitchen. Of course, she had been washing the dishes. (I'm pretty sure she actually just sleeps in the kitchen, too.)

"Yeah, it's almost 8 now, so I think I better get going. Besides, Kenji might have gone even farther, too. The sooner I leave, the sooner I might catch him."

"Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yeah."

"Everything's packed in your bag? Pokémon supplies? Food? All of your necessary items and _toiletries_?" She leaned closer to me as she interrogated me.

"Yes, Mother…" I rolled my eyes at her. "I've got everything I need."

Leaning back up, she sighed, "Well, alright, dear. If you're sure…" She had a worried look on her face, as mothers do, but she took my word for it and dropped the subject.

Piplup stayed by my side as my mother walked us to the door and onto the front porch. I had decided that I would keep Piplup out of its Pokéball and with me along the journey. One reason was that I figured I'd get lonely going across the region. The second reason was that each time I tried to put him in his Pokéball that morning, he kept finding his way back out. After about five minutes of the same routine, I finally gave in, defeated.

"I'm going to miss you! Come back and visit, okay?" my mother requested as she hugged me tightly. Then she gave Piplup a kiss on his head and pulled out a Poffin to give to him.

"I will, Mom, as much as I can. I promise." She was a good woman, despite her many quirks. I stepped down off the porch as Piplup followed behind, chewing on his treat.

"Bye-bye, Hikari!" She stood on the porch, waving goodbye to us. "Enjoy your adventure!" With one last wave goodbye from me, I headed out to begin my journey.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, I know that the starter Pokémon in the game isn't capable of being outside of its Pokéball with the player (except for Pokémon Yellow), but I thought it'd help make the story more interesting with Piplup out and about more often.

Also, I'm debating about going back and changing Lucas' name to Kōki, as it is his name in Japanese. It was a question by someone before about why aren't they all Japanese names. The reason Hikari's name was changed from Dawn was because I hated that name. The least they could have done was made it start with an "M", like all the others, haha (like Melanie!). And I do like Japanese names a lot, but if anyone has any objections or comments, please let me know.

And I now know that Barry's (or Kenji in my story) name in Japanese is actually Jun. But I don't like that as much as Kenji, so I'm keeping it the same.


End file.
